


broken glass and white lies

by palmsxieri



Category: Men’s Hockey RPF
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Heavy Angst, M/M, Slow Burn, Smut, the whole gang shows up somewhere
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-11
Updated: 2019-12-08
Packaged: 2020-06-26 05:56:32
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,082
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19761985
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/palmsxieri/pseuds/palmsxieri
Summary: jack hughes completely, unmistakably fucked up big time.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [jenn_carter13](https://archiveofourown.org/users/jenn_carter13/gifts).



> if you or someone you know is in this fic, please save us both the embarrassment and click away now. 
> 
> no warnings as of now.

**_Jack Hughes completely, unmistakably fucked up big time._ **

  
_Stop, that’s not how the story goes._

  
**_Jack Hughes got drafted by the Devils, met some new teammates, got himself fucked over completely, and found redemption._ **

  
_Better, I guess. But still not quite it._

  
**_Jack Hughes fell in love._ **

  
_Yes, that’s a good start._

  
_***_

  
**_It all started the first day he met the team. The first preseason game, to be precise; when he met the entirety of the staff and started chirping the guys._ **

**_Almost exactly ten years ago._ **

  
**_The first day he set eyes on Nico Hischier, the man who would singlehandedly make or break his entire life._ **

  
_No, that’s definitely not how it went-_

  
**_Would you let me tell the story? God._ **  
**_Anyway. My name is –_ **

  
_No, no! Don’t tell them that, you’ll ruin the story!_

  
**_Oh my god, fine. I won’t ruin the story._ **  
**_So the Devils had just gotten off a rough loss to the Rangers, tensions high in the locker room even though it was only a preseason game. Jack wore his heart on his sleeve, and his frustrations were showing and he wasn’t talking to anyone –_ **

  
_No, he was talking to people! He talked to Hallsy, and PK, and Nico -_

  
**_Literally shut up. Point is, he was acting weird and secluded, so Nico went to see how he was. That moment would change the rest of his life._ **

  
_I wouldn’t say the rest of his life –_

  
**_I am going to kick you out of the story, I swear to god. It’s gonna happen._ **

  
_Sorry._

  
**_Right. Where was I? Ah, yes. When everything changed._ **


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Hey,” Nico whispers when he gets to Jack’s stall. “Why don’t you come to my place today, we can just chill and blow off some steam?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> smut. like, full blown smut. enter at your own risk.

“Hey,” Nico whispers when he gets to Jack’s stall. “Why don’t you come to my place today, we can just chill and blow off some steam?” 

“O- okay,” Jack stutters, speeding up his post-game routine. 

He can hear Nico’s laugh when he gets stuck in his pads. 

“So, what do you usually do after games?” Nico asks when they’re in the car. His hat brim is lulled low over his face and it casts a shadow on his usually bright features, and Jack would be lying if he said he didn’t find it attractive. 

“I, uh. I usually just go over tape and then go to bed,” he mumbles, wincing when his voice cracks halfway through his sentence. 

“Hey, loosen up,” Nico laughs, placing a hand on his knee. It’s gone as quickly as it’s there, going right back to the stick shift, and Jack has to resist the urge to press his palm over the spot. 

The rest of the drive is relatively silent apart from Nico humming along to whatever was playing on the radio – Jack's heart is pounding too loudly for him to hear it. 

“So... what’s the typical day like for you? I mean, being first overall is cool and all but I know it gets really stressful.”

“Yeah, you could say that,” Jack laughs nervously, running a hand through his hair. The both of them move to Nico’s couch, settling in. “I don’t even know, man. I honestly just need a way to blow off steam if I'm being honest.”

A look passes over Nico’s face that Jack can’t quite read, but it’s gone in an instant. 

“I feel you on that one, I still haven’t gotten all of my steam out of my system, you know? I mean I had Taylor for a little while, but then he got engaged, so that was kind of out of the question...” Nico trails off. 

Jack feels a lot of things at that, but one emotion is constant: excitement. 

“Is - did you - I mean, what did Taylor have to do with anything?”

“Oh, you know, he kind of helped me my first two seasons, if you know what I mean. He said it was his responsibility since I was his rookie,” Nico says, running his teeth over his lip. “He, uh. I'm assuming you had those junior ‘parties,’ yeah? Kind of like that, but more consistent. Almost every day, actually.” 

“Yeah, there were a lot of those for me too,” Jack mumbles, scratching the back of his neck. 

“Did you want to, you know, blow off some steam?” Nico says, eyes darkening. “You know, since you are technically my rookie.” 

“I mean, I – yeah, okay, yeah,” Jack stutters, and Nico moves impossibly closer. 

“You know,” Nico breathes out, and Jack can feel his breath ghost over his own lips. “I’ve been wanting to do this for a while. God, I missed doing this.” 

Jack cracks a smile at that, looking into Nico’s eyes, which are slowly closing. And finally, finally, their lips meet, only for a second, before Nico pulls back and opens his eyes. 

And then he smiles, a  devillish thing, and kisses Jack again with more force. 

They make out for minutes or hours, Jack can’t tell, he’s too engulfed in the way that Nico’s mouth just seems to leave his own wide open and vulnerable, and when they both finally pull back for air, Jack openly laughs.

“We should’ve done that a while ago,” he says, bright and loud, and Nico laughs along with him. 

Eventually Jack gets tired of staring, so he surges back in and kisses Nico with desperation, his tongue prying Nico’s mouth open with gaining interest. He runs his hands over Nico’s shoulders and arms, scratching a little with his fingernails. Nico does the same, bringing his hands lower to the hem of his shirt. 

“Can I?” he asks, mouth parted and red from all of the kissing. 

Jack can’t form words so he just nods, overly eager and desperate. 

Nico removes Jack’s shirt and then his own, and takes to mouthing in the hollow of Jack’s neck, making the y ounger man groan. 

“Off,” Jack pants, pawing at Nico’s pants. 

“Okay, okay,” Nico laughs, batting his hands away. “Someone’s eager.” 

“Just enjoying the view,” Jack chirps, shimmying out of his own pants and boxers. 

He audibly gasps when Nico removes the rest of his clothing,  mouth watering at the sight of all of his impossibly tan skin. 

“Like what you see, rook?” Nico smirks.

“Just get over yourself and kiss me,” Jack snarks back.

Nico complies, biting his lip in the process. He snakes a hand between the two bodies and grabs Jack’s cock, stroking it in  experimentation. He grins when Jack moans softly. 

“Guess you like that, huh,” Nico whispers, breath ghosting over Jack’s chest. “I wonder what else you like.” 

He continues to stroke Jack, licking his palm and squeezing a little. His thumb flicks over his slit and that earns a half-shout from the younger man, drawing a smile out of Nico. 

“God, you look so hot like this, all pliant and willing and sexy,” Nico says, breath ragged. 

His strokes get faster and Jack whines. 

“Come on, Nico, please, just-” Jack whimpers, groaning. 

“Just what, babe? Words,” Nico grins.

“Urgh, just let me come, please,” Jack whines, shutting his eyes in desperation.

“Eyes up here, babe,” Nico commands, bringing two fingers to his chin. 

Jack opens his eyes and moans as Nico’s thrusts get a little faster and a little meaner. 

“Fuck,” he pants.

Nico's hand works him to the edge where he comes with a shout, the first spurt landing on his chest and the rest pooling by his stomach. 

“Fuck, that was so hot,” Nico groans, wrapping a hand around himself and stroking quickly. 

In a short amount of time, he adds to the mess on Jack’s stomach, collapsing next to him on the bed. 

“Fuck,” he says, giggling at the state of the bed. “Now I know why people take the blankets off the bed before this. I'm never using them again.”

Jack laughs, but it’s more nervous with the gravity of what he just did hitting him like a freight train. 

“I, uh, I just remembered I was supposed to meet with Taylor to go over game tape,” Jack stutters out, grabbing his sweatpants and shirt and running out of the room. 

“Hey is everything okay?” Nico asks, following him with a blanket wrapped around his torso. 

“No - I mean, yeah, everything’s fine, I'll just - I'll see you tomorrow, yeah?” Jack half-yells, grabbing his car keys and all but running to the door. 

“Yeah,” Nico says softly, and Jack tries really hard not to slam the door but ultimately fails. 

“Fuck,” he mutters when the door closes. he sinks to the floor and drops his head to the wall and lets it hurt because he is most definitely screwed. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> that was evidently the most self indulgent thing i've ever written. like, ever. 
> 
> comments fuel the writer :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack slams Taylor’s door open, making his way to the fridge and stealing a beer.
> 
> “There is literally no possible way that you came here to review tape,” Taylor sighs from the couch, putting down his phone. “And you’re lucky I’m not friends with any cops.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> no warnings or triggers.

As per a complete and total coincidence, Nico stays home sick from practice the next day, and Jack visibly looks like shit. 

“Hey, you alright, rook?” Hallsy asks, concern etched on his face.

  
“Not really,” Jack replies, looking far to where Miles is poking his stick at Nate’s face. Both of them are laughing uncontrollably. “Can I come over for a few after practice? It's kind of important.”

  
“Yeah, sure,” Taylor says, eyeing him skeptically.

  
Jack gives a curt nod back, returning his attention to Miles and Nate. They both glance in his direction, nodding him over, to which they earn a short head shake back.

  
“Hughes, Palmieri, Hall, come here, I want to try you guys on a line.”

  
Jack internally sighs, there’s no way Taylor’s leaving him alone now.

  
-  
Unsurprisingly, Jack plays like absolute shit until Hynes takes pity on him and tells him to go home and rest.

  
At the state he’s in, resting isn’t an option, so he shoots Taylor a text and definitely doesn’t speed on the turnpike.

  
He slams Taylor’s door open, making his way to the fridge and stealing a beer.

  
“There is literally no possible way that you came here to review tape,” Taylor sighs from the couch, putting down his phone. “And you’re lucky I’m not friends with any cops.”

  
“Shut up,” Jack mumbles, glaring at his direction and slouching in the loveseat because apparently Taylor has one of those.

  
“So, what’s bugging you, rook? You look like shit,” Taylor says, leaning forward. “And don’t bullshit me, either.”

  
“I slept with Nico,” Jack blurts out, then downs his beer and buries his face in his hands.

  
“I figured.”

  
“You what?!”

  
“Oh come on, you two don’t shut up about each other,” Taylor dismisses with a wave of his hand.

  
Jack glares at the coffee table and pouts, grabbing one of his hoodie strings and tugging on it.

  
“What do I even do about this situation? It’s not like he likes me or I like him.”

  
Taylor makes some sort of broken noise and rubs at his forehead, mumbling to himself.

  
“What?”

  
“Nothing. I can’t help you if you don’t know what’s going on, dude. Go home and get some rest, it’ll help. And stop drinking all of my beer, for the love of god,” Taylor grumbles, grabbing Jack’s beer. He opens the door and corrals Jack out of the apartment.

  
“Just trust yourself, yeah?”

  
Jack nods and walks himself to his car and drives to Nico’s apartment on autopilot.

  
-

  
Jack regrets everything he’s ever done until Nico opens the door, his hair flopping down one side of his face.

  
“Hey,” Nico says.

  
Jack loses his self control when Nico drags his lip through his teeth. He shoves his way into the apartment and slams Nico against the wall with enough force to rattle the chain lock.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter’s a bit of a filler - i’ve got plenty planned for these two :)
> 
> comments fuel the writer!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Wait - mmph - stop,” Jack mumbled, lightly pushing on Nico’s chest. “We can’t.” 
> 
> “Can’t what?” Nico furrows his eyebrow. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a ha ha guess who's back again hahaha its me
> 
> just like - there's no smut in this chapter but there's some like angry moments and nobody gets physically hurt.

Jack loses track of time - the two of them have been making out for hours or days or years, he really can’t tell. The only thing he can focus on is the searing touch of Nico’s hands. Each separate touch feels like fire in his stomach, and his train of thought is hung up on the leg Nico’s pressed in between his own. 

But for some stupid, twisted reason, his brain is stuck on his fear of rejection. 

**_{Oh, so you admit it?}_ **

_ {No, I didn’t - I don’t - oh, fine, yes. I had a fear of rejection. Move it along.} _

“Wait - mmph - stop,” Jack mumbled, lightly pushing on Nico’s chest. “We can’t.” 

“Can’t what?” Nico furrows his eyebrow. 

“Do this,” Jack says, and fuck, the way Nico’s lips are swollen and red really shouldn’t be as attractive as they are. “This won’t work out well.” 

“Why not,” Nico says flatly, creating a little space between them that Jack decidedly hates. 

“It’s just. We’re in the National Hockey League, Nics, what if someone finds out?” And he knows it’s the worst fucking answer on the planet, and yet. He spews it out of his mouth. 

“Fuck the NHL, then, whatever,” Nico says with a fierceness that he’s only heard on the ice, and it’s much more terrified directed at him. “Who cares what anyone thinks?” 

“I do, obviously,” Jack snaps, raising his voice a little. “Who wouldn’t care?” 

“Why should you care? Would you be willing to give this a shot if we weren’t franchise-saviors, huh? Or if we weren’t making money playing for a professional sports league?” 

“What kind of question even is that-” 

“No, humor me, Hughes,” Nico grinds out, his voice like steel. “We both know you’d give this a shot if we weren’t professionals, and that’s fucked up. I don’t think you realize how fucked up that is, and it’s sad, to tell you the truth.” 

“Why the hell would I give it a shot, I have a reputation to uphold,” Jack says without thinking. “I’m not going to let a _fling_ get in the way of that.” 

Which wait - fuck. 

Nico flinches and the bitter look of hurt passes through his eyes before his emotions are bottled again. 

“Get out.” 

“Nico, I didn’t mean-” 

“No, obviously you did,” Nico snaps, his voice shaking. “Get out of my apartment.” 

Jack takes a long look at Nico’s eyes and watches the anger become more potent. He shuts the door with caution and sits outside the door for a while, listening. It’s eerily quiet until he hears glass shatter, and he already knows that it was the small vase that sat on Nico’s side table. 

He then hears a string of muffled curses and yells, and leaves before it gets worse. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so... yes i love destroying my characters only to build them back up again
> 
> by the average recent activity on my archive account, expect a new chapter by april
> 
> (that was a joke. haha)
> 
> comments fuel the writer, and you can yell at me on tumblr @palmsxieri


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico sighs and draws a hand over his face, his mind replaying the last twenty minutes without fail.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wowowowow i actually added a chapter within a reasonable time who am i
> 
> warning - mentions of glass, foot injuries, all that jazz
> 
> i’m sorry there’s no smut in this chapter but there will be some soon

Little shards of white glass strewn across the floor were bypassed by the string of curses flowing from his mouth. He didn’t even notice that a few of them had pierced his foot until he started limping in the kitchen. 

Nico sighs and draws a hand over his face, his mind replaying the last twenty minutes without fail. The short walk to the bathroom is excruciating, and when he sits on the sink with the tweezers the glass is lodged in his foot. He has to dig them out with the tweezers and ends up a mess of tears by the time he’s wrapped his foot in gauze. He can’t help but think this whole ordeal is his fault. So, he does the least logical thing ever and decides to get a drink from his cabinet. He can thank Taylor for that one later. 

The shitty vodka does the trick and it makes him feel numb and floaty. He decides to clean the glass off the floor and somehow manages to avoid any more cuts, considering he used his hands to pick it all up. He watches Gordon Ramsay yell at adults on his TV before he gets sick of it and calls Taylor. 

“Hey man, what’s up,” Taylor answers on the second ring. 

Nico forgets what he wanted to say and his throat closes up, leaving him with short puffs of air. 

“Woah, are you alright?” There’s rustling on the other line and the unmistakable jingle of keys. “I’m coming over, don’t you dare say no.” 

Nico nods dumbly before he realizes he isn’t visible. “Okay.” 

-

Taylor stays on the line until he pulls in the parking lot, practically sprinting up the stairs to Nico’s apartment. He slams the door open and finds Nico with his foot poorly wrapped in gauze. 

“What the fuck, dude,” he says flatly, but his eyes are filled with concern. 

“I… I fucked up,” Nico responds, small. Like a small boy who got caught stealing candy. “Jack came over and he started kissing me and then he stopped all of a sudden, and he said some things and I said some things, and I kicked him out, and then I threw my vase and got drunk, and stepped in the vase, and-” 

Taylor claps his hand over Nico’s mouth, silencing him. “Slow down, dude. What did Jack say? And did you get all of the glass out of your foot?” 

“He said that he didn’t want a relationship to ruin his reputation,” Nico sniffles, hiding his head in Taylor’s chest. “And yeah, there’s no more glass in my foot.” 

Taylor removes the gauze regardless and rewraps it to his liking. 

“I don’t think Jack meant what he said,” Taylor says softly. He cards a hand through Nico’s hair. “I think he’s just scared of what that means. He’s only eighteen, and I know that’s not an excuse, but I think you should give it some time, yeah?”

Nico mumbles something either inaudible or in Swiss-German, and Taylor will have to take it for now. 

“Let’s get you to bed, we have skate in the morning. And I want the trainer to look at your foot.”

The small, helpless nod he gets in return crushes his heart. 

“Will you stay with me until I fall asleep?” Nico says, eyes wide and pleading. 

Taylor nods, maneuvering to get an arm around him. They hobble to the bed without any miscues. 

“Thanks for being so great, Taylor,” Nico yawns once he’s situated in the bed. “Love you.” 

“I love you too, Nics,” Taylor says, and he means it. “Sleep.” 

-

Nico falls asleep in record time, his soft snores echo off the walls and fill the silence. Taylor had placed water and two pain relief pills on the bedside table but he couldn’t bring himself to leave, so he grabbed one of the extra blankets from the closet and situated himself on Nico’s ridiculously comfortable couch. 

He knows he won’t sleep much, because both of his rookies hate each other; he knows that they’ll have to fix it themselves eventually. But he’s stumped on how. 

But, that’s a thought for the morning, not someone who’s half brain dead and tired beyond belief. He turns off the light and lays there, hoping to get at least a few hours. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> there i go again beating up my characters
> 
> also if you’re wondering, no, nico and taylor don’t love each other romantically. they’re super close and are almost like brothers.
> 
> also you can ignore the note that pops up underneath this one cause i can’t figure out how to get rid of it haha okay bye

**Author's Note:**

> think of this as a sort of teaser!
> 
> this is entirely self indulgent and i’m not sorry.
> 
> comments fuel the writer :)


End file.
